Lock mechanism



y 1953 F. J. M CONNELL ETAL 7 LOCK MECHANISM Filed March 19. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. I.

:NVENTORS .FRA/VK J. M TON/V511. gyNfi J. FLETCHER ATTO R N EYS July 21, 1953 j MCCONNELL ETAL 2,645,927

LOCK MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19. 1949 INVENTORS FRANKJ. MCONNELL IRVING J. FLETCHER ATTO R N EYS Patented July 21, 1953 LOCK MECHANISM Frank J. McConnell and Irving J. Fletcher, New Britain, Conn., assignors to The American Hardware Corporation, New Britain, Conn.,a corporation of Connecticut Application March 19, 1949, Serial No. 82,381

13 Claims.

Our invention relates to a latch-actuating mechanism, and this application concerns improvements in mechanisms of the type disclosed in the copending application of Frank McConnell, Serial No. 48,626, filed September 10, 1948, now Patent No. 2,620,646, issued December 9, 1952.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of the character indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved dogging mechanism, complete in itself and readily adaptable to a more or less conventional latch mechanism. 7

It is a further object to provide an improved dog-control mechanism for a latch, wherein the dogging function may be independently controlled from either side of the door to which the mechanism is applied.

It is a specific object to provide a unitary roseand-door-handle construction adaptable directly to control a latch mechanism and incorporating dogging means selectably operable from either side of a door.

It is another specific object to provide an improved unitary latch-actuating mechanism and door handle and key-operated lock, wherein part of a dogging mechanism is operated by the lock, and wherein the key to the lock may not be removed unless the part operated by the key is in its dogging position.

It is still another specific object to provide an improved dogging mechanism for a latch and utilizing two independently operable parts which may dog the latch when mutually engaged and which are both movable in the same sense, i. e. in the same general direction.

It is a further specific object toprovide 1m;

proved means for removably holding a cylinder lock in a knob in a latch-actuating mechanism of the character indicated.

It is also a specific object to provide dogging means for dogging a lock and a knob against relative rotation or against rotation in a rose except for certain desired relative positions of said lock and of said knob. 1

It is another specific object to meet the above objects with a lock assembly whichmay be rightor left-handed without reversing the cylinder or the other side of the door.

Fig. 1 is a side view in partial section of a latch mechanism to which a novel unitary rose and 7 door knob have been applied in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken more or less in the plate 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an inside end view of the device of Fig. 2, with the rose case shown in section more Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of cer' tain of the internal parts of the assembly of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and illustrating a modified construction. ;1

Briefly stated, in a preferred form our invention contemplates an improved latch-dogging means which may be employed for what may be termed the selective dogging of a latch from 'either side of a door. The dogging means may utilize two engageable yet relatively movable elements movable in the same sense, i. e. in the same general direction. One of these elements may be actuated from one side of the door, and theother of these elements may be actuated from In the forms to be described, a latch-actuating mechanism is selectably dogged, and this mechanism includes two generally transversely or radially movable dogging members. One of the dogging members may be moved into or out of possible dogging relation with the other of said dogging members upon a key-operated motion, and the other. of

said dogging members may be operated in or out of possible dogging engagement with said one member in response'to an operation from the inside of the door. Novel means are described for holding a cylinder lock in a knob and for assuring against relative'rotation of the knob and of the cylinder lock except for said desired relationships between these'members.

Referring to the drawings, our invention is shown in application to a unitary rose structure I0 with a transversely extending spindle II' to engage the rollback means l2 ofa tubular-type latch I3. The latch [3 may be inserted in a single bore l4 from the edge of a door l5, and the latch front I6 may be sunk flush into the edge of the door l and held by mounting screws (not shown) in the conventional manner. Rotation of the spindle l i will be understood to cause gear means on the rollback I2 to engage the rack I! on a latch carriage so as to withdraw the latch bolt I8. The latch case 13 may include openings, as at l9, at opposite sides thereof for the transverse passage of a further spindle 29 to operate dogging means of the invention. This further spindle may be operated by manual means, such as a short crank or lever 2|. The latch [3 may be of a type disclosed in greater detail in the copending patent application of Frank McConnell, Serial No. 748,703, filed May 17, 1947.

In accordance with the invention, we provide a novel structure external of the latch assembly l3 and adaptable thereto for the selective independent dogging of handle operation from either side of the door. This selective dogging function may be achieved by the use of two relatively movable members moving essentially in the same sense or general direction, which happens to be shown as transversely of the knob axis; stated in other words, when both members are in dogged engagement, a movement of one member in one direction may serve to disengage both members, or an independent movement of the other member in generally the opposite direction may serve to disengage both members. One of these members may be actuated from one side of the door for displacement in or out of possible dogging engagement with the other member, and the other of these members may be actuated from the other side of the door in or out of possible dogging engagement with the first member.

In the form shown, both dogging members are displaceable generally transversely or radially of the rotation axis of the spindle ll. One of the members may thus be a radially slidable bolt 22 actuable from the outside of the door and locked (as by keys or suitable guides) against rotation relative to the spindle H and relative to the outside knob 22. Such keying or locking against relative rotation may be accomplished by locating the bolt 22 in a diametrically extending guide or slot 23 in a locking hub or connector 24. The same slot or groove 23 may also be engaged by diametrically opposite longitudinal projections 25 on a spindle hub member or connector 26 having a square or otherwise suitably formed central opening 2'! for proper engagement with the shank of the spindle I I. The looking hub 24 may further include a diametrically extending slot on the outside, as defined by walls 28 to overlap mating flats 29 on the shank of the outside knob 30. It will thus be clear that, when assembled, there may be a direct torque-transmitting relation between the outside knob 39 and the spindle l I by way of the locking hub 24 and the spindle hub 26, and that the bolt 22 may always be carried with rotation of the knob.

In order transversely to position the bolt 22, we employ crank means utilizing a crank pin 32 on a member 33 to be actuated independently of the knob from the outside of the door. In the form shown, the member 33, and hence the positioning of the bolt 22, is determined by operation of the key 34 for a cylindrical lock 35 held within the knob 30; the lock casing 35 may be held against rotation by means of inwardly directed lugs (not shown) cast inside the kn b as is customary. The member 33 may be connected to the plug 36 of the cylinder lock 35 by means of a tongue 31 fitting in a slot 38.

The other dogging member which is to cooperate with the bolt 22 is actuable independently of the bolt 22 from the inside of the door, as by manual setting of the spindle 20 by shifting the hand crank2l. This other member may be a transversely slidable plate 39 having abutment means in the form of a slot or groove 49 to en gage or be engaged by the bolt 22. The plate 39 may be slidably guided by ways 4| formed in the case or frame 42 of the rose assembly It. In the form shown, the sliding plate 39 is positioned by crank means 43 driven by the spindle 20 and engageable with a follower slot 44 in the sliding plate 39. Thus, it will be clear that by merely shifting the handle 2| downward from the phantom position shown in Fig. 1, crank 43 may drive the sliding dog plate 39 upward from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to the position shown in Fig. 7. If desired, duplicate cranking means 4-5 may be provided more or less diametrically opposite the cranking means 43, for engagement with another follower slot 45 in the slide plate 39, in order to render the mechanism adaptable to lock installations in which it is more convenient to use an actuating spindle 29 in place of the spindle 2D. The supporting bosses for both cranking means 4345 may be journalled in a cover plate 4'. supported in the rose frame :2 and held therein as by swaging or staking at spaced peripheral points. The cover plate 41 may also be formed with a central cupped-and-fianged portion 43 in order to provide bearing support for the spindle hub 26, as will be clear. The knob 39 may be journalled in the rose frame 42 at 49, and a snap ring 59 may retain the knob 30 by abutting the bottom of the bore in the rose frame 42.

In order to retain one or the other of the selectable positions for the slide plate 39, we have shown spring-detent means 52 which may be wrapped around and located by one of the mounting boxes 5! in the rose 42; the bosses 5| may be threaded to receive scouring screws 5| for securing the rose assembly H] to the door. The free end of the spring means 52 may cooperate with an upturned lug or other abutment 53 on the plate 39; in the preferred form shown, the free end of the spring means 59 is so contoured that the plate 39 will be resiliently urged in a downward direction for substantially all possible angular positions of the hand lever 2| except substantially the upper or topmost position of plate 39, in which case the detent or knee 54 may engage the underside of the lug 53. With such construction of the spring means 50, it will be appreciated that, even if the key 34 were returned to its locked position (i. e. bolt 22 extended) while the knob 30 is actuated (i. e. while bolt 22 is not aligned with the dog-plate open ing 40), a return of the knob 30 to the normal or latched position will not result in throwing off a locked setting of the hand lever 2| (i. e. of the dog plate 39); but the dog plate 39 will in effect latch itself on the bolt 22 as the knob 30 reaches the latched position, and the locksetting of the door from the inside may remain secure.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, we provide novel means for retaining the cylinder lock 35 in the knob 30. Such retaining means contemplates utilization of flange or other radially extending means 55 on the crank end of the member 33 to serve as abutment means to cooperate with the projecting shank end 55 of the knob 30. The member 33 must therefore be inserted from the inside, while the 3'I38 will beeffected, and transversely extending means may be employed to axially secure the lock plug 36'to'the crank member 33 and thus to retain both the crank member 33 and the lock 35 in the knob 39. In the form shown, such transversely extending means is a screw'58 threaded in the plug 36 and including a dog point 59 projecting into 'a suitably formed transverse hole 60 in the crank member 33. The overall length of the screw 58 together with its dog point 59 is preferably such thatpwhen the screw 58 is disengaged from the hole 60 in the crank member 33, the outer end 6! thereof projects radially externally of the plug '36 or at least projects to an extent so as to interfere with a radially inwardly projecting shoulder or lip 62 which may be formed as apart of the knob 30. The lip 62 may be circumferentially continuous except for a relativelysmall axial openingbr passage 63 through which-the then-projecting end 6| of the screw 58 maybe axially passed, and the lock 35 then removed from the knob 30. Access may be had to the screw 58 for adjust ment purposes through a hole or opening 64 in the knob 30, and for thearrangement shown a small socket wrench for the socket 65 of screw 58 may be inserted to adjust the screw 58 for the one plug angle at which the screw socket B5 registers with the opening 64. For security purposes, it is preferred that the adjustment opening 64 and the axial passage slot 63 shall be at diiferent angles about the axis of the knob 39, and the passage 63 is preferably at such an angle that key operation of the lock 35 will be necessary in order to remove the lock 35, although key operation mayor may not be required in order to register the set screw 58 with the access opening 64. If desired, a springwasher 66 (Fig. 2) may be interposed between cooperating shoulders or abutments on the lock plug 36 and on the crank member 33 in orderto assure more ready removalof the lock 35 upon a loosening of the screw 58, as will be clear.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, we provide means to assure that the knob 30 and the lock 35 may be operated with respect to each other and with respect to the rose frame 42 only for certain desired angular relations. Such means contemplates further dogging means,

similar configuration to) .the opening H (see Fig. 5). Thus it will be clear that, as far as the dogging means 61 is concerned, the knob can be operated for one of two positions of the boltcranking member 33. For all intermediate positions, the high point or land 14 between the openings II-12 will be presented to the ball 61, and any attempt to rotate the knob 30 will be opposed by the'dogging effect of the land 14 which will be understood to prevent the ball 61 from rising out of the slotted opening 10 in the rose frame 42 In" Fig. 9, we have shown a slightly modified structure in which further spring means 15 are employed to provide a'more positive downward urging and detent action for the'dog plate 39. The spring 15 may include'a knee 16 so positioned as resiliently to urge an upturned lug '11 downward, for most possible positions of the plate 39. We prefer that the knee 15 shall ride under the lug 11 substantially only for the'topmost positions (unlocked or undogged) of the dog plate 39.

and in the form shown we have provided a ball 61 to serve this added dogging function. The ball 61 may be guided by a radially extending hole 68 in the knob shank, and the ball diameter preferably exceeds the radial thickness of the knob shank at the location of the hole 68. The ball 61 may on the one hand fall in a slot or other limited opening 10 in the rose frame 42, in which case the ball 61 will be in non-interfering relation with key-operated rotation of the crank member 33. The ball 61 may also be movable into a recess or other limited opening "H in the crank member 33, and when so located in the opening H, the ball 10 may serve to dog the lock plug 36 to the knob 30. When the key 34 has been operated so as to shift the bolt 22 and also to reposition the crank member 33 with respect to the ball slot 68, the ball 61 may also be in position to ride in a further ball-receiving opening 12 which may be angularly spaced from (and of The functioning of our lock mechanism will perhaps be better understood from a decription of several possible relationships of the parts. In

Fig. 2, we have shown the assembly at a time when the handle 2| has been set so as to lower the dogging slot 40 of the slide'plate 39 to its bottom position, that is, inposition for dogging engagement with the outside-actuated bolt 22. In

Fig. 2, the key 34 has merely been inserted; it

has not been turned. The bolt,32 is, therefore, shown in its upward or dogging position, doggingly engaging the dogging slot 40. Since the knob 39 cannot rotate unless the bolt is free to move angularly, then the knob 30 is dogged and knoboperation is impossible. I Upon turning the. key 34, the plug 36 and th plug-driven cranking member 33 will be rotated;

and the bolt 22 will be driven to its downwardand that. the bolt 22 has therefore been repositioned in the up or dogging position (see Fig. 7) 7 let it be considered that the hand crank 2| is operated from the inside of the door. Such operation may drive the slide plate 39 to its upper limit of motion and such position may be held by the detent spring means 52 or 52'l5, as the case may be. In such position thedogging slot 40 is out of possible dogging relation with the bolt 22, and, despite the fact that the key 34 has not been operated, there is an undogged relationship between either the inside knob or the outside knob and the spindle H.

It will be seen that We have described a relatively simple and ingenious unitary rose-andoutside-knob construction for operation with a wide variety of latch constructions. With our arrangement, parts are simple and readily fabricated, and a number of security featuresare provided. The latch may be set' independently from either side of the door.

A simplified construction has also been shown for holding a cylinder lock in a door so that, if forany reason it shouldbe necessary to remove the lock for repair or replacement, there is no need to dismount the rose assembly [0 from the door. sembly complete with cylinder lock may be Further, it will benoted that my look as- 7 mounted in either rightor left-hand installations without requiring reversal of the cylinder.

While we have described our invention in detail for the preferred forms shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a latch device of the character indicated, latch-actuating means, two relatively movable dogging members for dogging said latch-actuating means, said dogging members being engageable with each other and dogging said latch when so engaged, one of said members being movable in one direction to disengage said members, the other of said members being movable in generally the opposite direction to disengage said members, means actuable from one side of said latch for moving one of said members independently of the other of said members, and means actuable from the other side of the latch for moving the other of said members independently of said one member.

2. In a latch device of the character indicated, latch-actuating means including a member to be rotated, two relatively movable dogging members for dogging said latch-actuating means when in engagement with each other, each of said dogging members being movable generally transversely of the axis of rotation of said latch-actuating member and at all times independently of each other, and means actuable from one side of the latch for moving one of the members.

3. In a device of the character indicated, an outside knob, a cylinder lock in said knob, an outside rose, and means to be engaged from the inside for holding said rose against a door, dogging means in said rose and including two relatively movable dogging members movable generally transversely of the axis of said knob, means operated by said lock for moving one of said members relatively to the other of said members, and means operable from the inside for moving the other of said members relatively to said one member.

4. In a device of the character indicated, rotatable latch-actuating means for operation from both sides of a door, dogging means including a generally transversely movable member guided by said latch-actuating means transversely of the axis of said latch-actuating means, and a further transversely movable member engageable with said first member and non-rotatably guided, means actuable from one side of a door for moving one of said members independently of the other, and means actuable from the other side of said door for moving the other of said members independently of said one member.

5. A device according to claim 4, in which the transversely movable member carried by said latch-actuating means is a bolt, and in which said non-rotatable transversely movable member includes abutment means to engage said bolt.

6. In a latch device of the character indicated, rotatable latch-actuating means for operation from both sides of a door, dogging means for said latch-actuating means and including a first generally transversely movable member engageable with a second generally transversely movable member, said members being independently movable transversely of the axis of said latch-actuating means, and key-operated looking means on one side of the door for actuating one of said members out of possible dogging engagement with the other of said members.

7. In a device of the character indicated, a knob, key-operated means in said knob and rotatable relatively to said knob, a rose supporting said key-operated means and said knob for rotation therein, and dogging means including a movable member carried with said knob and normally out of engagement with said key-operated means, and means responsive to movement of said knob from its normal unactuated position for displacing said movable member to a position engaging said knob and said key-operated means against relative rotation, whereby said key-operated means and said knob may be dogged against relative rotation when said knob is actuated.

8. A device according to claim 7, in which said key-operated means includes abutment means engageable with said movable member for but two relative angular positions of said knob and of said latch-actuating means, one of said relative angular positions corresponding to a locked and the other to an unlocked condition of said device.

9. In a device of the character indicated, latchactuating means, a rose, two independently movable dogging members in said rose for dogging said latch-actuating means, one of said members being carried with said latch-actuating means and actuable from one side of a door, the other of said members being carried on said rose and actuable from the other side of the door, and means resiliently urging one of said members into a position for dogging engagement with the other of said members.

10. A device according to claim 9, in which said resiliently urged member is movable between a first position for possible dogging engagement with the other member and a second position out of possible dogging relation with the other member, and means effectively disabling said resilient means substantially only when said resiliently urged member is in said second position, whereby said resilient means may be efiective to urge said resiliently urged number for substantially all possible positions of said resiliently urged member except substantially said second position.

11. In a device of the character indicated, latch-actuating means, a rose, a dogging plate slidably guided in said rose, dogging means carried with said latch-actuating means and engageable with said dogging plate for one position of said plate, said plate being movable out of possible dogging engagement with said dogging means independently of said dogging means, and means resiliently urging said plate toward said one position.

12. In a latch device of the character indicated, knob means, key-operated means in said knob means, rose means supporting said knob means and said key-operated means for independent rotation on a common axis, all said means having overlapping relatively rotatable parts, whereby there may be an intermediate part between two extreme parts, a dogging member carried with said intermediate part, said dogging member being movable for dogging said intermediate part to one of said extreme parts in a first position and for dogging said intermediate part to the other of said extreme parts in a second position, a cam carried at one angular location by one of said extreme parts and engageable with said dogging member to cam said dogging member out of one of said dogging 9 positions upon relative movement of the parts thereby dogged, and circumferentially discontinuous stop means carried by the other of said extreme parts for preventing such cam-actuated movement of said dogging member at a plurality of relative angular positions of said parts.

13; A device according to claim-12, in which said relatively rotatable parts are concentric and radially overlapping, whereby said extreme parts are respectively radially inside and radially outside said intermediate part.

FRANK J. McCONNELL. IRVING J. FLETCHER.

Name Date Patrick May 19, 1903 Number Number Name Date Arens Feb. 22, 1910 Peterson et a1 July 27, 1920 Davidson Aug. 3, 1920 Devereaux Dec. 13, 1927 Devereaux Feb. 26, 1929 Hurd Jan. 1, 1935 Swarens et a1 Apr. 13, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France May 1, 1928 

